Thanos
| aliases = | continuity = Marvel Universe | image = | notability = | type = | race = | gender = | base of operations = | known relatives = A'Lars (father) Sui-San (mother) Kronos (grandfather) Eros (brother) Nebula (granddaughter) | status = | born = | died = | 1st appearance = ''Iron Man'', Vol. 1 #55 | final appearance = | actor = }} Thanos is a fictional alien conqueror featured in comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer/artist Jim Starlin and Mike Friedrich and first appeared in ''Iron Man'', Volume 1 #55 in February, 1973. Thanos also headlined his own short-lived Thanos comic book series in 2003 and 2004. The character has also been represented in 2012 superhero film The Avengers. Overview Thanos is one of the Eternals of Titan. He is of the offshoot race known as the Deviants, and as such, is defined physically by his hulking mass, purple skin and mottled chin. Thanos is the ultimate "bad guy" of the Marvel Universe - a ruthless conqueror, he has enslaved countless worlds in his unending bid for ultimate power. Thanos is a nihilist and seeks nothing more than the total destruction of all existence. Because of this, Thanos' one true love is none other than the personification of Death itself. Biography During one of his earliest missions of conquest, Thanos established a beachhead on Earth inside of a mountain in the Southwestern part of the United States. He sent two alien simians known as the Blood Brothers to safeguard this facility, but the Blood Brothers ended up getting into a fight with Iron Man. The cosmic warrior, Drax the Destroyer, attempted to aid Iron Man, but Thanos captured him. With some electromagnetic help from Mentor, Iron Man and Drax broke free, but Thanos escaped, leaving behind a robotic duplicate of himself to distract the heroes. Iron Man 55 At one point, Thanos gained control over the Cosmic Cube. In yet another bid to please his unrequited love, Mistress Death, he used the Cube to phase the entire planet Earth out of reality. He also used it to torture and torment Mar-Vell, such as causing him to age at an accelerated rate. Captain Marvel 33 Thanos eventually acquired all of the Infinity Gems and fitted them into a gold-plated glove dubbed the Infinity Gauntlet. Operating from a barren lifeless planet, he decided to test his newfound power by opening a trans-dimensional conduit to Titan and pulling forth the Silver Surfer and Drax the Destroyer to his location. Thanos made a showy display of demonstrating the abilities of each of the gems to his opponents. Drax immediately went on the offensive and leaped at Thanos. Thanos used the Time Gem to freeze Drax in mid-leap. He then used the Space Gem to bring them to the planet's prehistoric past. As a further display of his mastery over the gems, he transported them all across space. He then altered Drax's soul to re-motivate his spirit, causing him to attack the Silver Surfer. He used the Mind Gem to assail their minds with images of people from their past. Thanos then warped reality, twisting the Surfer and Drax's physical bodies. He then used the Power Gem to render them both inert. Silver Surfer Vol 3 44 Even with all of the power given to him by the Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos continued to express his undying and unrequited love for Mistress Death. He even created the Shrine of Death so she could be worshiped. It was only through Mephisto, who stood as witness to Thanos' actions, that he learned what Death truly desired. Death had determined that there were more people alive in the universe today than had ever died, and such a thing represented a great upset to the cosmic balance. To satisfy this, a mass culling was required. Thanos used the gauntlet, snapped his fingers, and in the blink of an eye, one-half of all living creatures in the universe, including animals, disappeared from existence. Infinity Gauntlet 1 Equipment * Cosmic Cube: At one point, Thanos gained control over the Cosmic Cube. In yet another bid to please his unrequited love, Mistress Death, he used the Cube to phase the entire planet Earth out of reality. He also used it to torture and torment Mar-Vell, such as causing him to age at an accelerated rate. Captain Marvel 33 * Infinity Gems: The elements that coalesced into the Infinity Stones were once part of an ancient omnipotent being that existed millennia ago called a Celestial. This being was all that existed throughout infinity. Once it determined that its endless existence had no purpose, it committed suicide. From the ashes of this being sprang the universe. The Infinity Stones were aspects of the reincarnated soul of this being. :* Mind Gem :* Power Gem :* Reality Gem :* Space Gem :* Soul Gem :* Time Gem * Thanos robot: Thanos was not above using robotic duplicates as decoy. When Thanos first established a beachhead on Earth, he left behind a robotic lookalike to distract Iron Man and Drax the Destroyer so that he could make his escape. Iron Man 55 Notes & Trivia * Alternate versions * Marvel Adventures: Thanos was the central antagonist of the 2010-2011 four-issue limited series Avengers and the Infinity Gauntlet, which is aimed at younger readers. In the series, Thanos acquires the power of the Infinity Gauntlet and uses its power on a quest for cosmic domination. After vanquishing countless worlds and defeating the Avengers, a new team of Avengers is put together to combat Thanos. * Marvel Cinematic Universe: In the continuity of the Marvel movies franchise, Thanos is revealed to be the key behind the Chitauri army that invades Earth. The Chitauri leader, known as The Other, reports to his master following the Battle of New York to inform him that Earth's defenses are more powerful than they had bargained for, and that anyone who would seek to challenge them courts death. Thanos merely turned towards the Other and smiled. External Links * * Thanos at Wikipedia * * * References Appearances |-|Marvel Universe= * Avengers Annual 7 * Captain Marvel 30 * Captain Marvel 33 * Captain Marvel 41 * Captain Marvel 59 * Daredevil 105 * Infinity Gauntlet 1 * Iron Man 55 * Ka-Zar Vol 3 11 * Silver Surfer Vol 3 38 * Silver Surfer Vol 3 44 |-|Alternate continuity = Marvel Cinematic Universe * Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Prelude 2 |-|Alternate media= Marvel Cinematic Universe * Ant-Man and the Wasp * Avengers, The * Avengers: Age of Ultron * Avengers: Infinity War * Avengers: Endgame Category:Articles Category:Characters Category:Deviants